Khartoum Budgies New Home

Rambo and Sweet Pea in their cage suspended above our desks in the office

I always seem to surround myself with pets of some sort. So going home to South Africa on break, I have to find someone to look after our budgies. Our general manager, Issam has agreed to have them in his house downstairs. We inherited Sweet Pea from him when he went over to the USA last August.

I've asked Grant to make an elbow for the cage to be suspended in Issam's flat. I also asked him for a second elbow. This would be fixed to an outside wall for the budgies to get some fresh air.

The only wall in the courtyard which gets no sun at all

I've been watching the course of the sun in the courtyard below. Every wall of our building gets full sun at some stage during the day. To hang the budgies there would mean slow-death-by-roasting. Poor things. Then I noticed that a storeroom opposite had a wall that never received the sun. Grant will suspend an elbow there today.

Mirriam works for Issam on Wednesdays and Sundays and will come in to clean in our absence on Thursdays. I have shown her how to change the birds' water and food daily. She will also ensure the birds are indoors when she leaves work in the afternoon.

I'd been concerned about Calico Cat. She seems to be thinner so perhaps she's had her kittens. Every evening and many mornings, she waits for her food which Grant takes down for her. Now I have asked Mirriam to leave food (which is stored in my fridge) for her every time she comes in to work.

Now, I'd better get packing for my holiday back in South Africa. We cannot wait to see our new grandson who is already five weeks old!

God willing, I should be back online and blogging on Saturday from my own office back home! Until then, everyone take care and be blessed.

Khartoum Neighbours

The view of our neighbours' courtyard from our balcony

My husband and I noticed, while sitting on our balcony in the evening, that the elderly gentleman of the house opposite, was making a wardrobe. On Monday three weeks ago, I decided to visit him and the two ladies we'd seen in the courtyard.

I rang the gate bell while a number of customers at the shop in the street looked on curiously. Soon I was being ushered into the courtyard by a beautiful woman. With gestures and much arm-waving (I’m getting SO good with charades-lol!) I managed to convey that I’d like to speak to the man of the house. On her call of “Mohamed”, he appeared from the house next door. He spoke English and introduced himself and then the lady with us as Harda, his sister. He said his wife was out, but please would I come in.

Saire, Mohamed and Harda

Once inside Harda's home where a friend whom she introduced as Saire, was seated on a divan, Harda motioned for me to sit down. The women immediately wanted to know all about me: where do I come from, how many children do I have, where does my husband work. That day, our fourth grandchild had just been born. I explained this to Mohamed who relayed it to the ladies. They in turn, clapped their hands then leant over to pat my knee in congratulation.

Meanwhile Mohamed disappeared outdoors and returned within a few minutes with two bottles of Pepsi Cola. Harda brought out two wine glasses which Mohamed filled. He gave one to me, took one for himself and gave the remainder of the two bottles of Pepsi to the two women.

Mohamed and his wife, Zenab pose in front of the wardrobe he built

After chatting a while longer and learning several important Arabic words and phrases from these kind people, I asked if they would pose for a photograph. They sat on the divan opposite and at first they looked very somber. Lowering my camera, I smiled at them and dredging up a newly –acquired word to depict “happiness”, I asked them to daheka /laugh. Immediately their faces broke into wide smiles and I continued to click away amid much laughter.

As I started to leave, another beautiful lady entered the yard. Mohamed introduced her as his wife, Zenab. While greeting Zenab, I suddenly remembered the wardrobe that Mohamed was making. I asked them if I could see it. They took me around a shoulder -high wall to their home. After admiring the wardrobe and asking Mohamed if he’d make an item of furniture for me, they both posed in front of it.

When I finally left, they asked me to please come again.

For more worlds around the globe, click here.

Khartoum Low GI Bread

Last year I posted about a Low GI whole wheat bread I baked for the Bible Study held weekly at my home. You can read about this here.

Why low GI? What is Low GI? According to a Diet and Nutrition Health website, eating low-GI is a key nutrition message that goes hand-in-hand with other healthy eating guidelines such as eat less saturated fats and eat more fruit and vegetables.

The Glycemic Index (GI) was devised about 20 years ago when researchers looked closer at the dietary recommendations for diabetics; which was to eat more complex carbohydrates (starch) because they took longer to process and digest than simple carbohydrates (sugar).

How does low-GI promote better health? Research has shown that very high glucose levels after meals, called glucose spikes, are damaging to our arteries and various blood vessels, and they promote far too much insulin to be around.

Eating low-GI foods means you avoid those spikes and dramatic falls in blood-glucose so you get a much steadier stream of energy. You, therefore, reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases that are implicated by those blood-glucose fluctuations.

Last week we found wheat flour in the supermarket. This is similar to the whole wheat we get in South Africa except not so "whole" ! I decided to bake my Low GI bread here.

When I removed the sunflower seeds from the packet, I realized they'd not been shelled. It took me forty five minutes to shell them (ewgh!). Finally I could get on with the preparationsFrying the sunflower seeds filled the kitchen with a delicious aromaThe bread turned out well and was delicious

I've posted the recipe again.

Low Whole wheat bread (Fresh Living Magazine July 2009

¾ cup (187ml) sunflower seeds
1 cup (200g) crushed wheat (couldn't find in Khartoum, omitted)
3 cups (420g) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (120g) white bread flour
1 ½ tsp (7g) salt
1 x 10g packet instant yeast
1 cup (42g) All-bran flakes (e.g. Kellogg’s)
2 tbs (30ml) milk
3 tbs (45ml) molasses or honey
1 tbs (15ml) olive oil
1 tbs (15ml) lemon juice
2 ¼ - 2 ½ cups (560ml – 625ml) lukewarm water

Toast sunflower seeds in dry, hot, non-stick pan until golden
(Set aside ¼ cup (60ml) for garnishing)
Mix seeds with molasses/honey, oil and lemon juice
Add water and stir well
Sift together flours, yeast, salt, crushed wheat and All Bran flakes
Add to liquids and seeds and mix well
Pour dough into loaf pan of your choice; (I used 28 x 10 ½ x 9 ½)
Sprinkle top with reserved seeds and crushed wheat
Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 200°C and bake for 45 minutes
Remove loaf from tin and bake on rack for 19 minutes. (For a crisp bottom crust)

Makes 7 mini loaves, 3 rounds, or 1 large loaf

Dimensions of alternative tins:
Round tin: 12 ½ x 4 ½
Mini loaf tins: 11 x 6 ½ cm